the foundations of personality-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　more　often　brings　the　breakdown　of　health。　This　is　the　seeker　of　perfection　in　himself；　who　will　not　compromise　with　his　instincts　and　his　human　flesh。　There　seekers　of　perfection　are　among　the　noblest　of　the　race；　admired　in　the　abstract　but　condemned　by　their　friends　as　〃too　good；〃　〃impractical；〃　as　possessors　of　the　〃New　England　conscience。〃　One　of　the　effects　of　a　Puritanical　bringing…up　is　a　belief　that　pleasure　is　unworthy；　especially　in　the　sex　field　and　even　in　marriage。　Now　and　then　one　meets　a　patient　caught　between　perfectly　proper　desire　and　an　obsession　that　such　pleasure　is　debasing；　and　a　feeling　of　self…disgust　and　self…hatred　results　that　is　the　more　tragic　since　it　is　useless。　There　are　those　in　whom　self…love　and　self…esteem　is　at　a　lower　pressure　than　with　the　average　man；　just　as　there　are　those　in　whom　it　is　at　a　much　higher　pressure。　Such　people；　when　fatigued　or　when　subject　to　the　hostile　or　even　non…friendly　opinion　of　others；　become　so…called　self…conscious；　i。　e。；　are　afflicted　with　fear　and　a　feeling　of　inferiority。　This　may　deepen　into　self…contempt　and　self…hatred。　Part　of　what　is　called　confidence　in　oneself　is　self…esteem；　and　under　fatigue；　illness；　after　punishment　of　a　physical　or　mental　nature；　it　is　apt　to　disappear。　Very　distressing　is　this　in　those　who　have　been　accustomed　to　courage　and　self…confidence；　perhaps　whose　occupation　makes　these　qualities　necessary。　Soldiers；　after　gassing　or　cerebral　concussion；　men　completely　without　introspection；　fearless　and　gay　with　assurance；　become　apprehensive；　self…analytical　and　without　the　least　faith　in　themselves；　so　that　they　approach　their　work　in　fear。　So　with　men　who　work　in　high　places　or　where　there　is　risk；　such　as　steeplejacks；　bridge　builders；　iron　workers；　engineers；　let　an　accident　happen　to　them；　or　let　there　occur　an　exhausting　disease　with　its　aftermath　of　neurasthenia；　and　the　self…esteem　and　self…confidence　disappear　so　that　in　many　cases　they　have　to　give　up　their　job。　Because　self…disgust　and　hatred　are　so　painful；　compensatory　〃mechanisms〃　have　been　set　up。　There　is　in　many　people　a　tendency　to　project　outward　the　blame　for　those　acts　or　thoughts　which　they　dislike。　In　the　pathological　field　we　get　those　delusions　of　influence　that　are　so　common。　Thus　a　patient　will　attribute　his　obscene　thoughts　and　words　to　a　hypnotic　effect　of　some　person　or　group　of　persons　and　saves　his　own　face　by　the　delusion。　In　lesser　pathological　measure；　men　have　fiercely　preached　against　the　snares　and　wiles　of　women；　refusing　to　recognize　that　the　turmoil　of　unwelcome　desire　into　which　they　were　thrown　was　internal　in　the　greater　part　of　its　origin　and　that　the　woman　often　knew　little　or　not　at　all　of　the　effect　she　helped　produce。　One　of　the　outstanding　features　in　the　history　of　the　race　has　been　this　transfer　of　blame　from　the　desire　of　men　to　the　agent　which　aroused　them。　Of　course；　women　have　played　on　the　desires　of　men；　but　even　where　this　was　true　the　blame　for　VULNERABILITY　has　seldom　been　fully　accepted。　Whenever　any　one　has　been　〃weak〃　or　〃foolish〃　or　〃sinful；〃　his　mind　at　once　seeks　avenues　of　escape　from　the　blame；　from　the　painful　feeling　of　inferiority　and　self…reproach。　The　avenue　of　escape　selected　may　be　to　blame　others　as　tempting　or　not　warning　and　not　teaching；　may　become　entirely　delusional；　or　it　may　take　the　religious　form　of　confession；　expiation　and　repentance。　There　are　some　so　hardy　in　their　self…esteem　that　they　never　suffer；　never　seek　any　escape　from　self…reproach；　largely　because　they　never　feel　it；　and　others；　though　they　seek　escape；　are　continually　dragged　by　conscience　to　self…imposed　torture。　Most　of　us　seek　explanations　for　our　unwelcome　conduct　on　a　plane　most　favorable　to　our　self…esteem；　and　there　arises　an　elaborate　system　of　self…disguise；　expiation；　repentance　and　confession　that　is　in　a　large　part　the　real　inner　life　of　most　of　us。　To　explain　failure　especially　are　the　avenues　of　escape　utilized。　Wounded　in　his　self…esteem；　rare　is　the　one　who　frankly　acknowledges　inferiority。　〃Pull；〃　〃favoritism；〃　〃luck；〃　explain　the　success　of　others　as　do　the　reverse　circumstances　explain　our　failures　to　ourselves。　Sickness　explains　it；　and　so　the　defeated　search　in　themselves　for　the　explanation　which　will　in　part　compensate　them。　Escape　from　inferiority　follows　many　avenues；　by　actual　development　of　superiority；　by　denying　real　superiority　to　others；　or　by　explaining　the　inferiority　on　some　acceptable　basis。　Here　（as　elsewhere　in　character）　there　is　evident　an　organic　and　a　social　basis　for　feeling。　We　have　not　emphasized　sufficiently　a　peculiarity　of　all　human　feeling；　all　emotions；　all　sentiments。　They　have　their　value　to　the　individual　in　organizing　his　conduct；　his　standard　of　value。　They　are　of　enormous　importance　socially。　A　great　law　of　feeling　of　whatever　kind；　of　whatever　elaboration；　is　this；　it　tends　to　spread　from　individual　to　individual　and　excites　whole　groups　to　the　same　feeling；　tender　feeling　is　contagious；　and　so　is　hate。　We　are　somehow　so　made　that　we　reverberate　at　a　friendly　smile　in　one　way　and　to　the　snarl　and　stern　look　of　hate　in　another　way。　Ordinarily　love　awakens　love　and　hate　awakens　hate；　though　it　may　bring　fear　or　contempt。　It　is　true　that　we　may　feel　so　superior　or　cherish　some　secret　hate　that　will　make　another's　love　odious　to　us；　and　also　we　may　admire　and　worship　one　who　hates　us。　These　are　exceptional　cases　and　are　examples　of　exceptional　sentimental　stability。　It　is　of　course　understood　that　by　love　is　not　meant　sex　passion。　Here　the　curious　effect　of　coldness　is　sometimes　to　fan　the　flame　of　passion。　Desire　obstructed　often　gains　in　violence；　and　the　desire　to　conquer　and　to　possess　the　proud；　that　we　all　feel；　adds　to　the　fire　of　lust。　Self…esteem；　self…confidence；　hateful　to　others　if　in　excess　or　if　obtrusive；　is　an　essential　of　the　leader。　His　feeling　is　extraordinarily　contagious；　and　the　morale　of　the　group　is　in　his　keeping。　He　must　not　show　fear；　or　self…distrust　or　self…lowering　in　any　way。　He　must　be　deliberate；　but　forceful；　vigorous；　masterful。　If　he　has　doubts；　he　must　keep　them　to　himself　or　exhibit　them　only　to　one　who　loves　him；　who　is　not　a　mere　follower。　It　is　a　law　of　life　that　the　herd　follows　the　unwounded；　confident；　egoistic　leader　and　tears　to　pieces　or　deserts　the　one　who　is　wearying。　The　basic　sentiments　of　interest；　love　and　hate；　projected　outward　or　inward；　organize　personality。　Men's　characters　and　their　destinies　rest　in　the　things　they　find　interesting；　the　persons　they　love　and　hate；　their　self…confidence　and　self…esteem；　their　self…contempt　and　hatred。　And　it　is　true　that　often　we　hate　and　love　the　same　person　or　circumstance；　we　are　divided；　secretly；　in　our　tenderest　feelings；　in　our　fiercest　hate；　more　often；　alas；　in　the　former。　For　occasionally　admiration　and　respect　will　mitigate　hate　and　render　impotent　our　aim；　but　more　commonly　we　are　jealous　of　or　envy　son；　brother；　sister；　husband；　wife；　father；　mother　and　friend。　We　love　our　work　but　hate　its　tyranny；　and　even　the　ideal　that　we　cherish；　when　we　examine　it　too　closely；　seems　overconventionalized；　not　enough　our　own；　and　it　stifles　and　martyrs　too　many　unpleasant　desires。　We　rebel　against　our　own　affections；　against　the　love　that　chains　us　perhaps　to　weakness　and　forces　us；　weary；　to　the　wheel。　How　deeply　the　feeling　of　〃right〃　enters　into　the　sentiments　and　their　labors　needs　only　a　little　reflection　to　understand。　Here　we　come　to　the　effect　of　the　sentiment　of　duty；　for　as　such　it　may　be　discussed。　The　establishment　of　conscience　as　our　inner　guide　to　conduct；　and　even　to　thought　and　emotions；　has　been　studied　briefly。　On　a　basis　of　innate　capacity；　conscience　arises　from　the　teaching　and　traditions　of　the　group　（or　groups）。　The　individual　who　has　a　susceptibility　or　a　readiness　to　believe　and　a　desire　to　be　in　conformity　accepts　or　evolves　for　himself　principles　of　conduct；　based　on　obligation；　expectation　of　reward　and　fear　of　punishment；　these　entering　in　various　proportions；　according　to　the　type　of　person。　In　children；　or　the　very　young　child；　expectation　of　reward　and　fear　of　punishment　are　more　important　than　obligation；　and　this　remains　true　of　many　people　throughout　life。　Gradually　right；　what　we　call　duty；　becomes　established　as　a　guiding　principle；　but　it　must　struggle　with　impulse　and　the　desire　for　immediate　pleasure　throughout　life。　In　fact；　one　of　the　dangers　of　the　development　of　the　feeling　of　duty　lies　in　the　view　often　held　by　those　guided　by　principle　and　duty　that　pleasure　is　in　itself　somehow　wrong　and　needs　justification。　Whereas；　in　my　opinion；　pleasure　is　right　and　needs　no　justification　and　is　wrong　only　when　it　offends　the　fundamental　moralities　and　purposes　of　Society。　The　feeling　of　〃right〃　depends　to　a　certain　extent　on　the　kind　of　teaching　in　early　childhood；　but　more　on　the　nature　of　the　individual。　It　is　based　on　his　social　feeling；　his　desire　to　be　in　harmony　with　a　group　or　a　God　that　essentially　stands　above　any　group。　For　the　idea　of　God　introduces　an　element　having　more　authority　than　the　group　whom　He　leads。　Here　also　is　a　factor　of　importance：　choice　is　difficult　for　the　great　majority。　Placed　in　a　situation　where　more　than　one　response　is　possible；　an　unhappy　state　of　bewilderment　results　unless　there　are　formulae　for　action。　The　leader　is　the　chooser　for　the　group；　religion　is　an　established　system　of　choices　even　in　its　〃Thou　shalt　not〃　injunctions；　and　to　be　at　one　with　God　implies　that　one　is　following　an　infallible　leader；　and　doubt　and　uncertainty　disappear。　Trotter＇1＇　points　out　clearly　the　role　the　feeling　of　certitude　plays　in　developing　codes。　As　life　becomes　more　complex；　as　more　choices　appear；　the　need　of　an　established　method　of　choosing　becomes　greater。　The　careful；　cautious；　conscientious　types　develop　a　system　of　principles　for　choice　of　action；　they　discard　the　uncertainty　of　pleasure　as　a　guide　for　the　certainty　of　a　code　laid　down　and　fixed。　Duty　is　the　north　star　of　conduct！　＇1＇　〃The　Herd　and　its　Instincts　in　Peace　and　War。〃

In　passing；　an　interesting　development　of　our　times　is　worth　noticing。　The　tendency　is　to　discard　established　codes；　to　weaken　dogma　and　to　throw　more　responsibility　on　the　individual　conscience。　That　is　the　meaning　of　the　Protestant　reformation；　and　it　is　the　meaning　of　the　growth　of　Unitarianism　within　the　Protestant　church；　it　is　also　the　meaning　of　the　reform　movement　in　Judaism。　The　Catholic　church　has　felt　it　in　the　breaking　away　of　state　after　state　from　its　authority；　which　virtually　means　that　the　states　have　thrown　their　citizens　back　on　their　own　consciences　and　the　state　laws。　In　fact；　reliance　on　law　is　in　part　an　effort　to　escape　the　necessity　of　choosing。　The　pressure　of　external　authority　has　its　burden；　but　in　giving　up　its　certainty　man　also　gives　up　tranquillity。　Much　of　modern　neurasthenia　is　characterized　by　a　feeling　of　uncertainty；　unreality；　doubt：　what　is　right；　what　is　real？　True；　as　religion　in　the　dogmatic　sense　relinquishes　its　power；　ethics　grow　in　value　and　men　seek　some　other　formula　which　will　compensate　for　the　dogma。　It　is　no　accident　that　as　the　old　religions　lose　their　complete　control　new　ones　appear；　with　all…embracing　formula；　like　Christian　Science；　New　Thought；　etc。　Though